Solid fossil fuels such as coal often are ground in order to render the solid fossil fuel suitable for certain applications. Grinding the solid fossil fuel can be accomplished using a device referred to by those skilled in the art as a pulverizer. One type of pulverizer suited for grinding is referred to as a “bowl mill pulverizer”. This type of pulverizer obtains its name by virtue of the fact that the pulverization that takes place therein is effected on a grinding surface that in configuration bears a resemblance to a bowl. In general, a bowl mill pulverizer comprises a body portion on which a grinding table is mounted for rotation. Grinding rollers mounted on suitably supported journals interact with the grinding table to effect the grinding of material interposed therebetween. After being pulverized, the particles of material are thrown outwardly by centrifugal force, whereby the particles are fed into a stream of warm and blown into other devices for separation by particle size.
Grinding rollers are urged toward the grinding table against the fossil fuel being ground by a spring assembly. The force that this exerts may be manually adjusted. The greater the force, the finer the particle size of the fossil fuels being ground.
There is no feedback relating to the amount of force being applied, or how different this force is from a desired force.
Currently, there is a need for feedback to more accurately adjust the force used to grind fossil fuels.